3.2 Environmental transmission of pathogens Where do the pathogens come from? How do pathogens in excreta contaminate the environment? Learning objective: To know and be familiar with environmental transmission routes for pathogens, especially in relation to water and sanitation.
3.2 Environmental transmission of pathogens. Where do the pathogens come from? How do pathogens in excreta contaminate the environment?. Learning objective : To know and be familiar with environmental transmission routes for pathogens, especially in relation to water and sanitation. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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3.2 Environmental transmission of pathogens
Where do the pathogens come from?
How do pathogens in excreta contaminate
the environment?
Learning objective: To know and be familiar with environmental transmission routes for pathogens, especially in relation to water and sanitation.
Faeces contain the major amount of pathogens, enteric
infections Urine
only a few diseases transmitted through urine Greywater
e.g. laundry, washing diapers, from food stuffs Industry
abattoir, food industry (plant pathogens) Storm water
e.g. surface run-off – animal faeces
Origin of pathogens in wastewater- contribution from different waste fractions
Origin
Birds andother animals
Recreational use
Industrialeffluent
Stormwaterand surface
water
Agriculturalrunoff and effluent
Domesticsewage
Leachate
Sea
Relative inputs of faecal indicator bacteria by source
The main ways diarrhoea is spread – by faecal pathogens contaminating fingers, flies, fields, food and fluids and then eventually swallowed
(Esrey et al. 1998)
The ”F-diagram” - main routes to spread diarrhoea
Excreta from humans & animals
Humans
Shellfish Crops Aerosols
Oceans andEstuaries
Rivers andLakes Irrigation
Solid WasteLandfillsSewageLand
Runoff
Recreation WaterSupply
Groundwater
Adapted from Gerba et al. 1975
1
43 2
8
765
12109 13
11
Transmission routes for pathogens in human excreta
Ecological Alternatives in Sanitation
Contamination of groundwater
Contamination of drinking water
Drinking water quality Heterotrophic bacteria, E. coli, metals, nitrate
(other aspects smell, colour) Contaminated surface- or groundwater
Wastewater outlet, latrines, run-off Contamination during distribution
Growth in pipes, intrusion of wastewater Contamination of finished water
During storage and handling, e.g. reservoirs, vendors
Waterborne diseases and sanitation
Waterborne diseases: caused by the ingestion of water contaminated by human or animal faeces or urine containing pathogenic bacteria or viruses; include cholera, typhoid, amoebic and bacillary dysentery and other diarrhoeal diseases.
A sanitation system including reuse need to avoid disease transmission mainly by :
- protecting ground- and surface water
- safe handling and use of the waste products in agriculture
Possible transmission routes for pathogens from organic fertilisers (e.g. faeces)
Handling on site
• The handling and reuse of all types of waste products with human or animal origin involve hygienic risks
Contamination of food
Contaminated seeds, uptake of pathogens? Organic fertilisers – human excreta, wastewater,
countries, faecal-oral transmission more common Schistosoma haematobium - fresh water snail
needed for development
low risk for transmission of infectious diseases through urine
Microorganisms in urine
Pathogen Urine as a transmission route Importance
Leptospira interrogans Usually through animal urine ?
Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi
Probably unusual, excreted in urine if systemic infection.
Low compared to other transmission routes
Schistosoma haematobium (eggs excreted)
Not directly but indirectly, larvae infect humans in fresh water
Need to be considered in endemic areas where freshwater is available
Mycobacteria Unusual, usually airborne Low
Viruses: CMV, JCV, BKV, adeno, hepatitis
Not recognised other than single cases of hepatitis A and suggested for hepatitis B
Low
Microsporidia Suggested, but not recognised Low
Venereal disease causing No, do not survive outside the body -
Urinary tract infecting No, no environmental transmission -
Pathogens in urine and importance of urine as a transmission route
Risk of disease transmission through urine
The main risks of disease transmission from handling and using human urine are related to faecal cross-contamination of urine and not from the urine itself.
EcoSanRes (2004)
Health risks related to urine diversion
Features of excreta - hygiene
Urine Sterile in body Naturally containing
some bacteria after excretion
Few diseases transmitted through urine
Low risk to handle
Faeces Naturally containing high
amounts of bacteria Many diseases
transmitted through faeces (faecal-oral)
May contain pathogenic bacteria, viruses, protozoa or helminths
Significant risk to handle
Microorganisms in excreta
Lower concentrations of pathogens than in faeces
Faecal origin of pathogens (bathroom and laundry) Shower and bath, Washing clothes, washing diapers
Pathogens from food stuffs (kitchen sink) Faceally contaminated vegetables (e.g. from irrigation with
wastewater or animal manure), soil Contaminated meat (e.g. chicken)
Health risk from disposal or reuse Contamination of nearby surroundings Contamination of drinking and recreational water Irrigation of crops
Pathogens in greywater
Zoonoses Transmission humans animals May cause symptoms or not in animal
Vectors Insects, rodents, birds – mechanical transport Birds, wild and domestic animals infected without symptoms
Intermediate host Animal necessary for lifecycle of pathogen,
e.g. malaria, schistosomiasis
Transmission by animals
Run-off from agricultural land where grazing cattle were infected with EHEC (a zoonoses, i.e. transmissionn animal-human)
Transport from manure to river water
Irrigation of lettuce (no requiremenmts for analysis of the water)
The lettuce was consumed by a large number of individuals – resulted in 100 cases (approx. 10 hospitilised)
At the lab: isolating and comparing bacteria in samples from patients and in water samples